McNeese names Sonia Carlson to lead Cowgirl Tennis program – McNeese State University Athletics

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer has announced the hiring of Sonia Carlson as the new head coach for the Cowgirl tennis program.
 
Carlson comes to McNeese after spending four very successful seasons as an associate head coach at Tarleton State where she helped lead the team to a WAC championship and tournament title appearances the last two seasons.
 
She replaces Gabby Moore who recently accepted the head coaching position at Indiana University.
 
“I’m so excited to have Sonia take over the reins of our tennis program,” said Schroyer. “The interest I this job was truly humbling, but after all the interviews and vetting of candidates, Sonia stood out to me.
 
“She has all the characteristics I look for in a head coach. She’s hungry, driven, has a chip on her shoulder and can recruit at a high level. She not only understands my expectations, but embraces them.”
 
“I am extremely honored and excited to become the new head tennis coach at McNeese,” said Carlson. “This is a unique opportunity to lead a program with a distinguished history and I can’t wait to work with our athletes and staff to achieve great success. Together, we’ll foster a culture of hard work, dedication, and excellence on and off the court. We will strive to reach new heights and make the McNeese community proud.”
 
Carlson was instrumental in turning a Texan program into an elite one in their short NCAA Division I history. After claiming the Western Athletic Conference regular season title in 2021-22, Tarleton was the runner-up in its first conference tournament appearance in 2022-23, then repeated as runners-up this past season.
 
During her time with the program and since becoming a Division I competitor, Carlson has helped lead the Texans to an overall record of 63-25, including a 23-4 mark in conference matches. She’s also coached 14 All-Conference selections, including a WAC Player and Freshman of the Year.
 
Commented Schroyer, “Our tennis community will love Sonia and her passion for the sport. I believe she will build on the success that Coach Moore established and will get our tennis program to the next level of success.
 
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Sonia take the reins of our tennis program.”
 
Carlson, whose maiden name is Madronal, arrived at Tarleton following a four-year playing career at the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA). During her time as a Roadrunner, she was a four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. She was a standout doubles performer, winning 19 doubles matches over her career, including 16 in her final two seasons.
 
Following her playing career, Carlson moved on to Stephen F. Austin as a graduate assistant coach. The Ladyjacks won 14 matches over her two seasons there, including a 7-7 record when the spring ended prematurely in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
A native of Barcelona, Spain, Carlson received a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from UTSA in 2018 and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from SFA in 2020. She is married to Ryan Carlson, who played football at Incarnate Word.